Graphene oxide–chitosan hydrogel for adsorptive removal of diclofenac from aqueous solution: preparation,characterization, kinetic and thermodynamic modelling

This work aimed at developing a natural compound-based hydrogel adsorbent to remove diclofenac as a model pharmaceutical from water. First, graphene oxide–chitosan (GO–CTS) and amine graphene oxide–chitosan (AGO–CTS) hydrogel adsorbents were synthesized via a facile mechanical mixing method. The synthesized materials were characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. In the second stage, adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the best GO to CTS ratio and find the optimized adsorption parameters, including the initial drug concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, and temperature. The results showed that the optimal GO to CTS mass ratio is 2 : 5 and thus the same ratio was selected as the AGO to CTS mass ratio to understand the effect of amine-functionalization on removal efficiency. The optimal adsorption parameters were determined to be pH of 5, C_i of 100 ppm and dosage of 1.5 g L⁻¹, where 90.42% and 97.06% removal was achieved for optimal GO–CTS and AGO–CTS hydrogel adsorbents, respectively. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models were employed to investigate the adsorption behavior of diclofenac onto the synthesized hydrogels. The results revealed that the adsorption tends to be of the monolayer type and homogeneous, as the results were in better accordance with the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. The thermodynamics of adsorption demonstrated that the adsorption is exothermic, exhibiting higher removal efficiency at lower temperatures. Furthermore, Gibb''s free energy change of adsorption (ΔG) suggested that the adsorption is spontaneous, being more spontaneous for AGO–CTS than GO–CTS hydrogels. Finally, the regeneration ability of the hydrogel adsorbents was studied in five consecutive cycles. The adsorbent maintained its efficiency at a relatively high level for three cycles but a considerable decrease was observed between the third and the fourth cycle, indicating that the hydrogels were recoverable for three cycles.

This work aimed at developing a natural compound-based hydrogel adsorbent to remove diclofenac as a model pharmaceutical from water.     

Contribution of Fc fragment of monoclonal antibodies to tetanus toxin neutralization

Neurotoxicity Research - Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against neurotoxin of Clostridium tetani are considered as a novel source of immunoglobulins for passive immunotherapy of tetanus. Toxin...     

Mechanical Properties,Crack Width,and Propagation of Waste Ceramic Concrete Subjected to Elevated Temperatures: A Comprehensive Study

Waste ceramic concrete (WOC) made from waste ceramic floor tiles has several economic and environmental benefits. Fire is one of the most common disasters in buildings, and WOC is a brittle construction material; therefore, the mechanical properties of WOC structures under high temperatures should be considered. According to previous studies, hybrid fiber can further reduce damage to concrete under high temperatures. Meanwhile, crack width and propagation are among the key characteristics of concrete materials that need to be considered, but few studies have focused on their behavior when subjected to elevated temperatures. The new concrete materials proposed by the authors are WOC and WOC-Hybrid. WOC was prepared with Natural Coarse Aggregates (NCA), Natural Fine Aggregate (NFA), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC 43 grade), and ceramic waste tiles with 20% replacements for coarse aggregates, 10% replacements for fine aggregates, and 10% replacement for cement. In contrast, WOC-Hybrid was prepared with the addition of hybrid fiber (1% crimped steel fiber and 1% polyvinyl alcohol fiber) in WOC. The specimens were exposed to temperatures of 100–300 °C, and then the specimens were tested for tensile and compressive strength. The present study aims to find a new method to improve concrete resistance to elevated temperatures at the lowest costs by experimental and computational analysis via machine learning models. The application of machine learning models such as artificial neural networks (ANN) and multiple linear regression (MLR) was employed in this study to predict the compressive and tensile strength of concrete. The linear coefficient correlation (R²) and mean square error (MSE) were evaluated to investigate the performance of the models. Based on the experimental analysis, the results show that the effect of hybrid fiber on the crack width and propagation is greater than that on the crack width and propagation of WOC and PC after exposure to high temperatures. However, the enhanced effect of hybrid fiber on the mechanical properties, rack width, and propagation decreases after subjecting it to a high-temperature treatment, owing to the melting and ignition of hybrid fibers at high temperatures. Regarding the computational analysis, it was found that the developed MLR model shows higher efficiency than ANN in predicting the compressive and tensile strength of PC, WOC, and WOC-Hybrid concrete.     

Determination of intimin and Shiga toxin genes in Escherichia coli isolates from gastrointestinal contents of healthy broiler chickens in Kerman City, Iran

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains have emerged as food poisoning pathogens which can cause severe diseases in humans. Poultry can be readily and persistently colonized, leading to the excretion of the STEC strains in the gastrointestinal contents and becoming a potential risk for human infection. Two hundred and ninety E. coli isolates were recovered from the cecum and jejunum contents of 145 broiler chickens during the slaughter. The isolates were examined to determine the phylotypes and prevalence of stx1, stx2, and eae genes. E. coli isolates were segregated in four main phylogenetic group A (60.69 %), B1 (8.62 %), B2 (9.31 %), and D (21.38 %). The isolates from the cecal contents belonged to A (68.27 %), B1 (1.38 %), B2 (13.10 %), and D (17.24 %) phylogenetic groups. The E. coli isolates from the contents of the jejunum indicated that the isolates were distributed in four phylogenetic groups including 53.11 % (77 isolates) in A, 15.86 % (23 isolates) in B1, 5.52 % (8 isolates) in B2, and 25.51 % (37 isolates) in D group. Nine isolates (3.10 %) were positive for eae and stx2 genes. None of the isolates contained the stx1 gene. The positive isolates were distributed in three phylo-groups and four phylogenetic subgroups A (A₀, A₁), B1, and D (D₁, D₂). The four eae- and stx2-positive isolates from the cecal contents belonged to A₀, A₁, and D₁ phylo-subgroups; whereas five eae- and stx2-positive isolates from the jejunum contents fell into A₀, A₁, and D₁ phylo-subgroups and B1 phylo-group.     

Insight into prognostics,diagnostics, and management strategies for SARS CoV-2

The foremost challenge in countering infectious diseases is the shortage of effective therapeutics. The emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has posed a great menace to the public health system globally, prompting unprecedented endeavors to contain the virus. Many countries have organized research programs for therapeutics and management development. However, the longstanding process has forced authorities to implement widespread infrastructures for detailed prognostic and diagnostics study of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS CoV-2). This review discussed nearly all the globally developed diagnostic methodologies reported for SARS CoV-2 detection. We have highlighted in detail the approaches for evaluating COVID-19 biomarkers along with the most employed nucleic acid- and protein-based detection methodologies and the causes of their severe downfall and rejection. As the variable variants of SARS CoV-2 came into the picture, we captured the breadth of newly integrated digital sensing prototypes comprised of plasmonic and field-effect transistor-based sensors along with commercially available food and drug administration (FDA) approved detection kits. However, more efforts are required to exploit the available resources to manufacture cheap and robust diagnostic methodologies. Likewise, the visualization and characterization tools along with the current challenges associated with waste-water surveillance, food security, contact tracing, and their role during this intense period of the pandemic have also been discussed. We expect that the integrated data will be supportive and aid in the evaluation of sensing technologies not only in current but also future pandemics.

The foremost challenge in countering infectious diseases is the shortage of effective therapeutics.     

Home Use of Mini-Dose Glucagon As a Novel Treatment for Hypoglycemia Following Repeated,Prolonged Fasts in Type 1 Diabetes During Ramadan

OBJECTIVEWe determined the efficacy of self-administered subcutaneous mini-dose glucagon (MDG) to treat fasting-induced hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes (T1D).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSThis was a 4-week randomized, controlled crossover trial of 2-week MDG or 2-week oral glucose tablets (OG, control) involving 17 adults with T1D during Ramadan.RESULTSCompared with OG, MDG demonstrated a significant higher change in blood glucose from baseline to 30 min (Δ^t30, P < 0.001) and 1 h (Δ^t60, P = 0.02). The efficacy of MDG was preserved following ≥8 h fasting with significantly higher Δ^t30 in MDG (P = 0.01). Over the entire 2 weeks, MDG period had increased time in 70–180 mg/dL (P = 0.009) and less time <70 mg/dL (P = 0.04). MDG use resulted in higher completion of fasts compared with OG (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSMDG administration is an effective alternative to OG for prevention and treatment of fasting-induced hypoglycemia, offering improved glycemic control and promoting successful completion of prolonged fasts.     

Antibodies to mycobacteria in healthy and tuberculous badgers from two English counties

Sera obtained from 2 groups of badgers removed in bovine tuberculosis control operations have been examined for antibodies to 11 species of mycobacteria. From animals without post mortem evidence of tuberculosis, levels of antibodies to mycobacteria were found to increase with age, and different patterns of antibodies were found in animals coming from 2 different places. Some animals (5 out of 60) without evidence of progressive infection had antibodies suggesting contact with tubercle bacilli. Animals found to have tuberculosis at post mortem had increased levels of antibody to common mycobacterial antigen, as do humans with that disease. Only 2 of the 12 tuberculous animals had markedly more antibody binding to Tuberculin than to the other reagents. There was no evidence of greater specificity of antibody binding than was shown by sera of healthy badgers. The suggestion is made that contact with environmental mycobacteria might be a major factor determining distribution of tuberculosis amongst badgers.     

The changing landscape for the management of patients with neovascular AMD: brolucizumab in clinical practice

Untreated neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) can lead to severe and permanent visual impairment. The chronic nature of the disease can have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life and an economic and time burden on medical retina (MR) services, with the care need outweighing the growth of resources that clinical services can access. The introduction of a new treatment into clinical services can be challenging, especially for services that are already under capacity constraints. Guidance for practical implementation is therefore helpful. Roundtable meetings, facilitated by Novartis UK, between a working group of MR experts with experience of leading and managing NHS retinal services in the intravitreal era were conducted between 2020 and 2021. These meetings explored various aspects and challenges of introducing a new anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy to the UK medical retina services. Provision of clear expert recommendations and practical guidance nationally, that can be adapted locally as required to support clinicians and healthcare professionals (HCPs), is valuable in supporting the introduction of a new anti-VEGF therapy within the NHS environment. The experts provide ophthalmologic HCPs with a collation of insights and recommendations to support the introduction and delivery of brolucizumab in their local service in the face of current and projected growth in demand for retina care.Subject terms: Macular degeneration, Education